Fineilspitze
3,514 m
Austria, Italy
Also known as Finailspitze, Punta di Finale, +1Also known as
Finailspitze · Punta di Finale · Finailspitze - Punta di Finale
- Elevation
- 3,514 m
- Prominence
- 497 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T4+ (hikr.org (east flank variant)) · PD (Camptocamp (spring/ski conditions))
In summer now largely ice-free: from Vernagt (1,711 m) up the Tisental to the Similaunhütte (3,019 m), along a marked ridge path with short cables to the Ötzi find site at the Tisenjoch (3,210 m) and the Hauslabjoch (3,279 m), then steep blocks on the unmarked east ridge, with easy climbing (I–II), to an airy summit at 3,514 m.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,886 m
- −68 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,514 m
- Time Up
- 7h 28m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 02m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park by the Vernagt dam in the Schnals valley (1,711 m), walk up to the Tisenhof (1,814 m) and follow trail 2 north through the Tisental: meadows, sparse larch, then scree zigzags through a rock band to the Similaunhütte on the Niederjoch (3,019 m), about 3 hours. Most parties stay the night. Behind the hut a marked rocky path with a few short fixed ropes follows the long ridge north-west, up and down, to the Ötzi find site at the Tisenjoch (3,210 m), marked by a stone pyramid and information boards; continue north over rock and broken ground to the Hauslabjoch (3,279 m), skirting a hollow with a small summer lake. Beyond the find site the waymarks stop: faint tracks and cairns climb steep blocks and scree on the east (north-east) ridge. Near the top the line drops briefly onto the south-east flank, crosses a notch and finishes with easy, exposed scrambling (I–II) over blocks along the narrow ridge to the summit cross. Allow 2–3 hours from the hut. Descend the same way (about 4½ hours to Vernagt). In normal summer conditions the route is free of snow and ice, but early in the season or after a cold spell cornices, snow and verglas on the summit ridge make it considerably harder; glacier remnants near the Hauslabjoch may still need care. From Vent the Similaunhütte is about 4½ hours via the Martin-Busch-Hütte and the Niederjochferner.
Start
Vernagt1,695 m
- Train to Merano or Naturns, then bus up the Schnals valley (Val Senales) to Vernagt; timetables on sii.bz.it.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vernagt → Similaunhütte | 5.7 | 1,324 | 0 | 5h 08m |
| 2 | Similaunhütte → Fineilspitze | 2.6 | 562 | 68 | 2h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Vernagt1,695 m
- Waypoint: Tisenhof1,823 m
- Hut: Similaunhütte3,025 m
- Col: Hauslabjoch3,280 m
- Summit: Fineilspitze3,514 m
Key Passages
- Rock band in the upper Tisental below the Similaunhütte
- Ridge path with short fixed ropes from the hut to the Tisenjoch
- Unmarked steep blocks on the east ridge
- Narrow, exposed summit ridge (I–II)
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A 3,514 m rocky peak on the Austria–South Tyrol border, rising directly above the Hauslabjoch where Ötzi the Iceman was found in 1991. With the glaciers gone from the normal route, it is now a demanding high-alpine scramble (T5, II) from the Similaunhütte.
The Fineilspitze (Finailspitze, Italian Punta di Finale) stands on the Schnalskamm, the main ridge of the Ötztal Alps between the Niedertal above Vent and the Schnals valley in South Tyrol. Just below its east ridge lie the Hauslabjoch and the Tisenjoch, where the 5,300-year-old mummy known as Ötzi melted out of the ice in 1991; a stone pyramid marks the find site.
The mountain was once a glacier summit. With the ice retreating, the normal route from the Similaunhütte is now normally free of snow and ice in summer: a marked ridge path with short cables to the find site, then unmarked steep blocks and a narrow, exposed summit ridge with easy climbing. The view takes in the Wildspitze, the Similaun and Hintere Schwärze, the Ortler and the Zillertal Alps.
It is a touch harder than the neighbouring Similaun but similar in length from the hut, and makes a natural pairing with a visit to the Ötzi site. In spring it is a ski-touring objective, often as a traverse between the Similaunhütte and the huts on the Hochjochferner.
Climbing Notes
Needs good fitness, sure-footedness on steep blocky terrain and a head for heights on an exposed summit ridge with grade I–II moves; no rope is usually needed in dry summer conditions, but early in the season or after a cold spell snow, cornices and ice can make the ridge serious. Altitude above 3,000 m is noticeable.
The standard plan is to climb from Vernagt to the Similaunhütte (about 3 hours) on day one and do the summit (2–3 hours up from the hut) and descent to the valley on day two; a 10-hour single day is possible for fit parties. The hut host is a mountain guide and can arrange guided ascents. Check conditions at the hut, especially about remaining snow and glacier patches near the Hauslabjoch.
History
First ascent on 8 September 1865 by Franz Senn, the parish priest of Vent, with the guides Cyprian Granbichler and Josef Gstrein, via the north-west side of the Hauslabjoch and the north-east ridge; Senn described it in the Austrian Alpine Club yearbook in 1866. The Iceman Ötzi was discovered on 19 September 1991 at the Tisenjoch below the mountain's east ridge.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed
- Feb
- Winter; hut may open for ski touring late in the month
- Mar
- Ski-touring season (Similaunhütte open)
- Apr
- Ski-touring season
- May
- Ski touring; hut usually open until late May
- Jun
- Hut reopens mid-June; snow and cornices likely on the ridge
- Jul
- Usually snow-free; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Best conditions on dry rock
- Sep
- Often stable; possible early snow
- Oct
- Hut closes early October; snow and ice on the ridge
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Similaunhütte (private): book by email (info@similaunhuette.com) or phone (+39 0473 669711).
- Fees
- Hut overnight fees at the privately run Similaunhütte
- Getting There
Vernagt / Unser Frau (Schnals valley); Vent (Ötztal)
Innsbruck Airport (INN); Bolzano Airport (BZO)
- Bus from Merano/Naturns up the Schnals valley to Vernagt; free parking at the Vernagt dam
- From Vent (Ötztal), walk via the Martin-Busch-Hütte and the Niederjochferner to the Similaunhütte (about 4½ hours)
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Altitude
- Cornices
Huts & Shelters
1- 3,019 m
SimilaunhütteHutStaffed
Mid-June to early October; late February to late May for ski touring (Camptocamp)